Fossil-free steel mini-mill to produce specialty hot-rolled strip in Luleå, Sweden

Following an Early Service Agreement (ESA) covering the pre- and engineering phases, SSAB and Danieli have now signed a contract to supply a new mini-mill for its Luleå works in Sweden.

The mini-mill ordered is sized to produce 2.5 Mt of hot-rolled strip a year in thicknesses ranging from 1.3 mm to 25.4 mm, in widths of up to 2100 mm and coils of up to 40 tonnes of strip.

The meltshop will feature two 210 ton Digimelters featuring a Q-One power feeder that incorporates thermal recovery for district heating; ECS continuous scrap charging; and a MeltModel suite for dynamic control of the melting profile.

Steel grades will be produced via electric melting thanks to Danieli metallurgical know-how supported by specific technological packages, two twin-ladle refining stations and two twin-tank vacuum degassers. Endless scrap charging will improve furnace efficiency and reduce NOx emissions.

The delivery will include Danieli’s QSP-DUE casting-rolling technology, designed to ensure high productivity and product quality. The DySenCaster will produce slabs in thicknesses ranging from 110 mm to 140 mm.

The world’s first 100%-electric tunnel furnace will incorporate a combination of induction modules and electrical resistance devices.

The dry rolls in the tunnel furnace will deliver important electrical energy consumption savings. An integrated slab scarfer—a first worldwide for thin-slab casting and rolling—will allow in-line processing to meet the requirements for quality-critical applications.

Total quality management using Digi&Met solutions and robotics will make the plant automated from scrap handling to the coil yard. Danieli’s scope of supply also includes auxiliary plants, such as a fume-treatment plant (FTP) and a water-treatment plant (WTP), as well as automated scrap-charging cranes.